The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) clarified today the issue that there were relief food packs containing expired noodles distributed to Typhoon Seniang survivors in Silay City, Negros Occidental.

With instructions from Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman, DSWD-Field Office VI immediately validated this report.

Upon coordinating with Silay City Social Welfare and Development Officer (CSWDO), the Field Office found out that only two food packs contained expired noodles.

The said food packs were part of the last tranche of relief goods for Typhoon Yolanda survivors, which were released to the CSWDO by DSWD last September 2014 with the specific instruction that those have to be distributed immediately to the intended beneficiaries.

The CSWDO explained that she had two extra packs from the last tranche of goods for the ‘Yolanda’ victims and, admittedly, without checking the condition of their contents, she just gave those out.

The Field Office has been checking the other local government units (LGU) and so far, it has not yet monitored any similar incident.

Sec. Soliman instructed all DSWD Field Offices to constantly remind LGUs on the immediate distribution of relief goods given to them to ensure that these will not expire and that survivors can immediately use them. ###